Category Archives: 3D Pritners

It has emerged that German police have invested in a 3D printer to create, test, and potentially use their own 3D guns. Printer cartridges, 3D bar codes, and aircraft wings are also being printed using 3D printers.

When it comes to emerging technologies, the prospect of 3D printing in the home is one that genuinely peaks our interest. As an emerging technology, the possibilities and applications remain somewhat limited and largely untested, but 2013 has certainly seen the concept break through into the mainstream.

Deskptop 3D printers have gone on sale already at the likes of Amazon and Staples, and they’re not as expensive as you might think. These printers enable owners to print items up to around 20cm in size by layering plastic according to 3D maps created on the computer. Maps for a variety of items including chess pieces, homeware, and of course guns have already been released. Continue reading →

Electronics store Maplin is the first high street store to offer a 3D printer for home use. The £700 Velleman K8200 will print three dimensional objects up to 20cm³ from the comfort of your home.

It’s been a while since we had any decent 3D printing news to cover, which is a shame, because beyond all of the fuss over the perils of printing guns it is a really exciting prospect that could open up whole new areas. Happily, Maplin have announced that they have launched what is the first high street 3D printer to date. While it has its limitations, its price isn’t as astronomical as we expected and it could prove useful.

The Velleman K8200 is the printer in question and it will print items up to 20cm³ in size. Simple items like batteries and lost chess pieces will be easy to make and with some imagination and the printing of connections as well, it will be possible to create and craft considerably larger items. Continue reading →